Revamped Melvin Gateley Garden is dedicated

Coinciding with Earth Day on Wednesday was a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony for the Melvin Gateley Vision 2000 Garden.

The rose garden that once sat behind city hall was moved last year as crews laid underground pipes for the Broadway Stormwater project.

The rose bushes, along with new amenities paid for via donations, now can be seen in Murtaugh Park, in front of the Red House Interpretive Center, near the intersection of Main and William streets. Besides brightening a little corner of downtown Cape Girardeau, the garden benefits from more attention from the public than it did behind city hall, Mayor Harry Rediger said.

The garden commemorates the work of Gateley -- a former teacher, principal, Ward 5 councilman and leader in Vision 2000 and Vision 2020 -- who helped plant more than 5,000 rose bushes across the city during the late 1980s and '90s. The ribbon-cutting and dedication featured several stories from city leaders about their work with Gateley, as well as dramatic and musical performances by students from Cape Christian School.

Through informational kiosks around the garden, visitors can learn more about the planning and improvements made around the city through the work of Vision 2000 volunteers.

Melvin Gateley and parks and recreation director Julia Thompson talk after the dedication ceremony for the Melvin Gateley Vision 2000 Garden on Main Street in Cape Girardeau on Wednesday. (Glenn Landberg)

The kiosks and other new amenities, such as the bubbling rock fountain, were bought through the fundraising of Gateley and others. The labor to move and prepare the garden was provided by members of the city's parks and recreation staff.

As crews worked over the summer, parks and recreation director Julia Thompson said Gateley often could be found on the site with them.

"When it was hot, what would he do? He would go get them all ice cream and work out there with them and advising them ...," she said.

Gateley recalled the team spent many days on hands and knees in the sand laying bricks and preparing the land. More than 4,000 bricks are in the garden, many engraved with names of those who donated time or money to the project.

As a token of his gratitude and in the interest of providing the men with "good equipment" for digging in sand, Gateley awarded the nine crew members present bright plastic pails and shovels. He also gave each of them ceremonial gold shovels to commemorate the event. Of course, the gifts were conditional, as Gateley said he expected each crew member to take them and "get out and do some work."

A rose bush rests next to a path at the Melv in Gateley Vision 2000 Garden on Main Street in Cape Girardeau on Wednesday. (Glenn Landberg)

Gateley spent much of his address to the crowd thanking all the others who helped Vision 2000 and the Vision 2000 garden flourish. He thanked various members of the parks department, as well as his wife, Ella, with whom he presented a rose.

Work with Vision 2000 began in 1987, including a committee that featured Rediger as well as Gateley. The mayor said it was questioned at the time whether the recently retired Gateley had enough "vigor" to lead the group -- a comment that amused many of the dozens of people attending the ceremony.

"But we chose him to lead Vision 2000 and beyond, and he has certainly done that," Rediger said.

As city manager Scott Meyer said, Gateley has left a permanent mark on the community, in the garden and beyond.

Gateley also reminded people of the key goals of Vision 2000, which centered on topics such as jobs, businesses and community pride. He said he still believed in the work done by that committee and continued to promote it.

Andrew Buhs from Cape Christian School performs a dowel rod presentation with his classmates at the dedication ceremony for the Melvin Gateley Vision 2000 Garden on Wednesday. (Glenn Landberg)

"Ladies and gentlemen, Cape Girardeau is a city with a promise. Ladies and gentlemen, Cape Girardeau is a city with a vision. And last, but not least, she is a city with a future," he said. " ... Today we dedicate this garden by simply saying: Isn't it great to live in Cape?"

srinehart@semissourian.com

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Pertinent address:

Main Street and William Street, Cape Girardeau, Mo.